You shouldn't kiss me like this
by SageK
Summary: A post Crimson hat ficlet


**You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This – Toby Keith ~ Mentalist, Jane/Lisbon**

_They're all watchin' us now/ They think we're falling in love/ They'd never believe we're just friends/ When you kiss me like this/ I think you mean it like that/ If you do baby kiss me again_

After interrogating Lorelei, Jane felt…dirtier than usual. Giving Lisbon a reassuring nod, he wandered out onto the street, raising his face up into the rain as he walked.

He had no idea how long he walked, but it was dark when a burst of laughter made him glance down the road and he smiled to see a young couple ducking under an overhang. They didn't seem distraught by the downpour, so content with each other….

He didn't really think about it as he slipped into his car and drove.

Which was how he found himself knocking on Lisbon's door at 10pm on a Friday night.

The door swung open, revealing the senior CBI agent. Lisbon blinked up at him, looking young and tiny in her over large athletic jersey. "Jane?" she asked, clearly confused as to why he was standing on her doorstep. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

Blinking rainwater from his eyes, Patrick tilted his head to the side and said, "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She gave him an incredulous look and reached out, grabbing his shirt and pulling him into her home. "Well, let's start with the fact that you're soaked and here in the middle of the night."

"It's not that late," he protested as she shut the door and herded him further in. "Is it? Did I wake you?"

"No," she admitted, then heaved a sigh. "Stay here, I'll get you a towel."

She disappeared up the stairs, leaving Patrick standing there, wondering exactly what he was doing.

hr

i_What the hell was Jane doing here?/_i, Teresa wondered, grabbing a fluffy white towel from her linen closet. Not that she wasn't glad to see him, glad to know he hadn't disappeared again, but he wasn't one to randomly pop up at her door.

Especially not drenched to the bone and seemingly oblivious to that fact. Hurrying back to the living room, she found him standing where she'd left him, dripping onto the carpet and looking lost. She still had little idea of what he'd been doing during the six months he'd spent trying to draw Red John out, but she was fairly sure taking care of himself hadn't been high on his list of priorities.

Hell, even when he was on stable emotional ground (or what constituted stable emotional ground for him), Jane wasn't good at taking care of himself. He seemed to delight in provoking suspects until he got punched, he didn't sleep enough and sometimes she just wanted to shake him until he realized he was more than his quest for revenge.

Depositing the towel on his head, she quickly peeled the sodden jacket off of his back, hanging it on the coat rack before turning back to watch him listlessly towel dry his hair. He wasn't wearing a vest, so the rain had soaked his shirt to translucency and it clung to his back as he moved.

She stared for a moment before blinking and stepping back to his side and pulling the slightly damp towel free to drape around his shoulders. His hair was a tumbleweed of wet curls and he stared at her, eyes very blue and very close.

When his hands wrapped around hers, stilling her attempt to blot water from his shoulders, she started. "Teresa," he said softly, causing her to take a breath, "What I said…I just wanted to let you know…What I said….I do."

Earlier, when she'd asked him about what he'd said before pretending to shoot her, he'd brushed it off and she expected he'd pretend it had never happened. Honestly, she hadn't been sure she could deal with the sentiment, but now he was bringing it up again….

Unable to think of a good response, she leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. As quick as the contact was, she felt him lean into her, giving chase as she pulled back. The kiss, as brief as it was, sent a hum of sensation through her that held great promise for any further similar interactions.

Under her hands, he was trembling slightly and Teresa smiled softly. "Me too," she replied, knowing neither of them were ready to say more. "You go shower and I'll find you something to wear."

He nodded and let her usher him into the bathroom without further fuss.

This was going to be complicated.


End file.
